By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area

**Click here to see other previews from around the region!**

South Lakes (4-1, 3-0) at Madison (3-2, 2-1)
Last Week: South Lakes won vs. McLean, 28-21; Madison won at Fairfax, 21-7
Playoff Position (SOS): South Lakes (Div 5) 4h; Madison (Div 5) 5th

In five weeks, fans around the region will point to the result of this game as one of the most influential for the Division 5 playoff landscape.

If the playoffs started today, this would be the first-round match-up -- only in Reston rather than Vienna. The winner will be in the best position to dethrone Stone Bridge as regular-season district kings.

The Seahawks are tied with those Bulldogs as the highest-scoring offense in Division 5 at 33.2 points per game. The Warhawks are the top scoring defense in the Northern Region in both Division 5 or 6, yielding just 9.6 points per.

Something has to give.

South Lakes' run offense is a hair behind Robinson for second in the region at 266.2 yards per game, led by junior stud Ja'Juan Jones, who has 733 yards this season, including a season-high 233 on just 17 attempts last week.

He rushed five times for 148 yards and his house call in the first half last week and has gone over 135 yards in four of the Seahawks' five games.

Speaking of four-for-five, the Warhawks have posted second-half shutouts four times this year. But they are a little banged up and may be missing a few starters.

The first quarter will be extraordinarily critical Saturday afternoon. Between Madison's patented power dive and South Lakes multifaceted sweeps, a second-half deficit is going to be quite difficult to overcome.

The Warhawks have won seven of the last eight in this series. That includes the last six consecutive and all five since the Seahawks joined the Liberty District in 2004.

But, remember, the last time South Lakes was 4-1 was 2002. That was also the last time it beat Madison, 22-16. The Seahawks won the region that year.

Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com